The information superhighway has grown exponentially over the past two decades. The internet has created a multitude of ways in which people across the earth can communicate. Junction boxes, or patch panels are commonly used in data rooms to make the multitude of physical connections between end-user lines with various types of data switches, bridges, and routers, which in turn are connected to local internet service providers, regional access routers to high bandwidth back-haul providers across long distances to distant regional access providers, internet service providers and ultimately distant end users. Punch-down tools are used to connect signal wires into such patch panels. Two common patch panel types are 110 data patch panels and 66 cat3 telephony patch panels, where 110 and 66 pair of twisted wire are connected, respectively. Because the demand for such connections is increasing at such a large rate, patch panels increasingly become utilized to their full capacity; consequently, they become so crowded with wires that it often becomes difficult to insert wires into the terminal clip of a patch panel using a standard punch tool blade. U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,061 shows such a wire insertion/cutoff device having a blade with insertion end, as well as an insertion/cutoff end. The blade extends about one inch past a rather blunt large diameter punch-down tool. The proximity of the blade end being used to the bulky punch-down tool creates difficulties in connecting wires in the tight patch panels. Difficulties include the blunt end of the tool precluding the tip of the device from gaining access to the proper punch-down point on a terminal clip of the patch panel, the blunt end dislodging other terminated wires in the panel when the installer attempts to add new wires to the patch panel, and the bulky tool blocking the tradesman's view of the terminal clips so that connecting wires to patch panels is prone to faulty or incorrect connections. U.S. Pat. No. 7,266,878 shows a device that, while extending the overall length of a punch-down tool, still possess the above-mentioned problems. The diameter of the extension is about twice the diameter of the body of the standard short seating tip or seating and cutting tip that is inserted into the extension, and about four times the tip's width. Consequently, this large diameter still blocks the tradesman's access and view of the terminal clips, and the abrupt edges or ledges of the assembled tool readily snag adjacent wires when the tradesman attempts to use the device, thus providing little benefit in use. Furthermore, the tradesman must carry several tips with him, and piece together the parts which can become easily lost when dropped, creating constant inconveniences to the tradesman. What is needed is a punch-down blade which enables the reliable connection of wires in patch panels which are crowded to capacity, while preventing tool entanglement and the accidental dislodgment of connected wires.
The present disclosure discloses a punch-down tool which solves many of these problems that are associated with existing punch-down tools. It will be appreciated that the disclosure may disclose more than one invention. The invention(s) is (are) pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof.